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With BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, RIM Wants To Help Enterprises Manage Android, iOS Devices

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 01:56 AM PST

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Research In Motion this morning introduced a new enterprise mobility solution dubbed BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, aiming to help its business and government clients manage employees’ smartphones and tablets running the BlackBerry operating system, but also Android and iOS devices like the iPhone and the iPad.

Currently in early beta testing with a limited number of enterprise customers, RIM expects to kick off a closed beta program in January 2012, with general availability scheduled for late March 2012 (pricing unknown).

Mobile Fusion will encompass the company’s Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices but combine it with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, and will basically enable IT departments within organizations manage a multitude of decices from a single, Web-based ‘control room’.

RIM realizes that, increasingly, employees are bringing their own devices to the office, and is trying to cash in on the fact that those devices are increasingly not BlackBerry phones or tablets.

In an interview with Reuters, RIM’s VP for Enterprise Product Management, said:

“What our enterprise customers are looking for, and the opportunity for us, is to become the de facto platform. We will take full advantage of whatever security capabilities are provided by the core operating system. We’re not going to hold that back in any way, shape or form.”

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will also introduce self-service functionality for employees to secure lost or stolen BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets.

Daily Crunch: Buggy Bumper

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 01:00 AM PST

The Promise Of The 15-Inch MacBook Air

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 06:35 PM PST

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In my home office sits a 27-inch iMac with a secondary 24-inch LED Cinema Display attached to it. It’s a glorious vision of screen real estate.

And yet, I dread using it.

First world problem? It’s perhaps the definition of the term. But it’s true. I’m sitting here on a couch adjacent to my desk because I’d rather type this post on my MacBook Air. To be completely honest, I’d rather be using my iPad right now. But I must admit, it doesn’t come anywhere close to cutting it when it comes to typing more than a few dozen words. So for now, the MacBook Air exists as the pinnacle of personal computing in my eyes.

And it appears that those eyes are about to widen a bit.

The rumors which started as a trickle have now become a full-on stream. Apple appears to be gearing up to release a new 15-inch model in their thin laptop line. As of right now, the current MacBook Air models end at 13 inches. For many people, that doesn’t seem to be enough.

Earlier today, I posted some quick thoughts about a possible 15-inch MacBook Air. Most of the responses were along the lines of “WANT!!!”. But why? It’s not like the difference between 13 and 15 inches will be that dramatic.

Instead, I believe it’s related to a continuing shift in computing. Whereas a decade ago, big, bulky desktops (towers, even) were the norm, today’s computing world is increasingly mobile. And it’s more than that. Computing is quickly moving in the direction of the machines themselves disappearing into the background, as Mathew Ingram highlights today on GigaOM.

It was a little over a year ago that I realized I would be ready to buy something like a MacBook Air. I noticed that I had never once used the optical drive in my MacBook Pro, it was just a giant waste of space and unwelcome bulk. My sense was right. I immediately replaced my Pro with an Air and haven’t looked back since.

But others have been hesitant to do so. Some worry about having less storage. Others worry about less potential RAM upgrades. Even more seem to worry about using a smaller screen. Of course, that argument is already more complicated than it may seem because the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Pro actually offer the exact same screen resolutions (1440 x 900). Still, we’re in this weird transition moment where the previous era of expanding screen sizes is running headfirst into the era of shrinking computers.

Many likely view a 15-inch MacBook Air as a perfect compromise between the two worlds. It represents as many as 1920 x 1200 pixels (guesstimate based on the resolution of the 17-inch MacBook Pro — but might it be even more?) floating in your lap. Sure, there’s a computer attached to it, but it’s so light that you’ll barely notice it.

Remember when laptops were humongous? I recall having a 15.4-inch Dell that weighed just shy of 10 pounds and doubled as a thigh cooker. The battery lasted 2 hours if I turned the brightness down all the way and prayed. A 15-inch MacBook Air would probably be no more than 3.5 pounds — or a full two pounds lighter than a 15-inch MacBook Pro. The battery may last 9 hours.

Such a machine represents the opposite of being chained to a desk. You can take it anywhere for an extended period of time and still feel like you have a fully operation personal computer at your disposal. You don’t even think about it being a computer at that point, it’s just a big screen with a keyboard that gives you all the same abilities as that big, bulky machine on your desk.

It will lack multi-touch, but that’s clearly next. The iPad 3′s 2048 × 1536 resolution display should only drive that point home.

While the Apple may have kicked this transition into high gear, they’re hardly alone. When netbooks were surging in popularity, everyone focused on the price. But just as important was the portability factor. But the reality was the netbooks did not turn out to be worthy traditional computer replacements — MacBook Airs are. That’s why this year at CES, the PC industry is poised for a do-over with the “ultrabooks” — a name that sounds as if it was dreamt up by a completely unimaginative 12 year old.

The vast majority of those will probably fail, but the idea is the right one. Push forward into computing’s future by removing the computer as much as possible. That’s also the promise of the 15-inch MacBook Air.

Show Off Your iPhone’s Guts With iFixit’s Cyber Monday Deal

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 02:06 PM PST

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When Cyber Monday rolls around, everyone’s eyes dart to the big boys like Amazon and Newegg for cheap goods, but niche retailers have their own deals too. Case in point: the DIY repair nuts at iFixit have whipped together a nifty bundle for aspiring iPhone modders who would like to see the fruits of Apple’s design savvy instead of an opaque black panel.

For $29, you get one of iFixit’s transparent rear plates for either the GSM iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, along with the necessary tools to do the job. iFixit has also thrown in a screen protector and one of their liquid-absorbing Thirsty Bags (which I sincerely hope you’ll never need to use).

Those of you on the fence may be comforted by the six month warranty iFixit has on these things, but there really doesn’t seem to be much cause for concern. In any case, if the thought of playing with pentalobe screws and peeling the glass plate off of an iPhone has you feeling a bit squeamish, this probably isn’t the deal for you.

Considering that the rear panel itself normally costs just north of $50, anyone hoping for a quick, easy, and (I think) handsome mod should give this one some thought. I suppose it goes without saying that the mod will probably void your warranty, but the way I look at it, that’s a small price to pay for an iPhone that isn’t another carbon copy Cupertino obelisk. And hey, if anything should ever go wrong with that modded iPhone, you’ll know exactly where to start hunting for replacement parts.

eBay Sold Four iPad 2s Per Minute This Cyber Monday Morning

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 12:46 PM PST

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Online commerce giant eBay this morning ran a Cyber Monday deal for a white Apple iPad 2 WiFi 16GB, selling the popular tablet for $449 or exactly $50 off the MSRP (+ free shipping). Turns out a lot of people figured that was a great deal.

And they were right, too. After all, Apple only discounted the iPad 2 16GB with $41 on Black Friday, so you would indeed have been better off waiting until today and buying it on eBay … if you could get your hands on it quickly enough.

An eBay rep tells me that the iPad 2 was on sale for a mere two hours before it was sold out. At that price, people picked up four iPad 2 tablets per minute (or about 480 in total) during that time.

There were other deals on eBay that were worth breaking out your wallet for. The company sold a Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB Kinect Bundle for $259.99 – all 1,500 of those on sale were gone in 20 minutes (or 75 bundles sold per minute).

eBay also sold a HP 3105m laptop for $199.99, and sold nearly three units per minute to sell out the notebook PC in just over three hours.

It also knocked a whopping 58 percent off a RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 32GB ($249), but it hasn’t sold out yet today – which I guess says a lot more about the tablet than it does about eBay.

The 4Moms Origami: Look At This Robotic Stroller! Look At It!

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:48 AM PST

There are things you need to be afraid of when you’re a new parent. There’s gluten, pull cords, Disney products, and BPA, to be sure, but what about wild robotic strollers that look as if they’ll eat your wee ones in one snap of their plastic jaws?

Luckily, the 4moms Origami stroller won’t close on the little ones and is in fact a automatic stroller with a bit of a twist. Instead of pressing down on some hydraulics, this thing opens and closes with the tap of a button. It is, in short, pretty darn amazing.

The buggy has a built-in generator to power the closing motor and an LCD readout tells you when you can open and close the thing. Headlights near the front wheels keep you safe in dark caverns while the drink cosy on the handle keeps your whiskey snug.

The bad news? It costs $849, which is pretty steep even for some of the higher end buggies. That’s not to say there aren’t more expensive models out there and I’m certain there are no buggies that can transform and roll out like a Decepticon zygote, so this may be worth the splurge. Get the grandparents to pay for it.

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Best Buy’s Latest TV Ad Reminds Everyone That They Sell Apple Products

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:26 AM PST

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Apple Stores are awesome places to shop. All the latest Apple products are on tables, just waiting to be used and abused. The employees are generally very knowledgeable and they tend to let shoppers wander without pestering (they have an app for that). Oh, and the free tech support at the Genius Bar is, well, genius. The techs don’t try to sell unknowing customers surge protectors or gold-plated USB Monster Cables. Apple Stores are without question retail done right. Then there’s Best Buy. As their latest TV spot reminds, they sell Apple products, too.

AT&T’s LG Nitro HD Gets Official: LTE, 720p Display, $249

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:19 AM PST

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AT&T sure isn’t wasting any time on shoring up their LTE lineup: just a few weeks after the HTC Vivid and Samsung GSII Skyrocket hit the scene, AT&T has announced that the LG Nitro HD will hit the streets on December 4 for $249.99.

Better known as the Optimus LTE outside of the United States, the Nitro HD sports a pretty impressive spec sheet. As the name would imply, the Nitro sports a high-definition 4.5-inch AH-IPS running at 720p, and an 8-megapixel camera sits on the Nitro’s rear-end. Under the hood is a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, along with 4GB of internal storage and a pre-installed 16GB microSD card.

Like most of its kin, the Nitro HD runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, and will probably come preloaded with a host of apps that we’ll uninstall immediately.

Though some of the geeky particulars don’t get a mention, the Nitro HD looks like a solid handset on paper. Hopefully using it is just as good, because LG is in dire need of a hit — their handset division spent the past six consecutive quarters wallowing in red ink. LG has committed nearly half of their 2012 capital expenditures budget into revitalizing their mobile phone business, but until their new crop of smartphones hit, I’ll be watching the Nitro very closely.

Cyber Monday Gadget Guide

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 09:28 AM PST

Black Friday Sucks

Black Friday is an awful day compared to today. Sure, you might walk away with that one deal you had your eye on, but for the most part it’s a lot of waiting, fighting, and pepper-spraying. To make up for such an excruciating sale experience, retailers have given us Cyber Monday — the light to Black Friday’s darkness.

That said, we’ve decided to round up some of the best sales of the day just in case you chose to forego Black Friday proper (and why wouldn’t you?).

Laptops

Those of you who participated in Apple’s biggest sales day in history this past Friday might feel a tinge of regret when I tell you that MacMall is beating Apple’s Black Friday prices today on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. iMacs, iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches are all going for higher prices here than at Apple last week, but the 13-inch MacBook Pro is getting a $139 mark down, while the 11-inch MacBook Air is seeing a price cut of $199.

For our Windows-powered geeks, Dell has a somewhat weak Cyber Monday lineup with $50 off select models. They aren’t necessarily fire sale prices, but a discount’s a discount.

You’ll also see a few hot deals at Best Buy, with 15-inch Core i3 and AMD E Series Toshiba Satellite models going for $499 and $279 respectively, along with a $389.99 15-inch Asus X54L-BBK2 laptop.

Then again, if those Toshiba notebooks sound tempting you may want to repetitively and obsessively click through Amazon‘s lightning deals which happen incrementally throughout the week.

Tablets

Truth be told, there haven’t been many outstanding tablet deals this weekend to begin with, and many of the good ones have sold out. Still, if you have your eye on RIM‘s BlackBerry PlayBook the Canadian company is offering its slate at the low price of $199.

Verizon is also hooking up tablet lovers with the LTE-capable Motorola Xoom for $199. According to the web site, devices will ship on December 5.

Smartphones

Amazon Wireless simply can’t be beat this year when it comes to smartphones. The iPhone, unfortunately, has not seen any Black Friday/Cyber Monday love from Apple or anyone else. Android devices, on the other hand, are going for a penny (with a two-year contract, of course) from Amazon throughout the week.

The HTC Thunderbolt 4G, HTC Droid Incredible 2, Samsung Droid Charge, and Motorola Atrix 4G are just a few of the smartphones Amazon is offering for a penny. Past that, you can also get some of the newer Hotspot-capable smartphones (like Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S II, the Motorola Droid Bionic (Verizon), or the lady-friendly HTC Rhyme) and receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Home Entertainment

As far as your on-the-couch entertainment is concerned, you really shouldn’t miss out on today’s deals. Best Buy has a number of different TVs ranging from a 15-inch Coby TV for $79 to a Sony 55-inch Smart TV + 3D Blu-ray Home Theater bundle for $1698 (savings of $1650).

You’ll also find plenty of different TV offerings from Target in all shapes and sizes, including a $329 32-inch Samsung HDTV and a $1099 46-inch Smart HDTV (also from Samsung).

Sony also has great deals on Home Theater gear this week, which you can refer to in our Gadgets To Look Out For On Black Friday post.

Gaming

Walmart has you covered in the gaming department this year, with hot deals on a few different console bundles. A 250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect bundle (including Kinect Adventures and choice of other game) can be had for $348, while a PlayStation 3 starter bundle is going for $279.

That’s $10 less than Target’s similar PS3 bundle offering, though that’s not to say Target’s lacking in the gaming department. The big red retailer has $175 Wii Bundles in both black and white, while Dell is offering the Wii + Super Mario brothers for $135.

Check out our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide if you need a little extra inspiration.



Rumor Has It: Apple Planning 15-Inch MacBook Air

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST

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We’ve heard rumors of a sort of MacBook Pro/MacBook Air convergence for the past few months and it seems Digitimes may be confirming the arrival of a larger, ultrabook-like 15-inch MacBook Air.

The source believes that Apple is working on updated 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch models. This will be distinct from the Pro line.

Analysts believe this move will drive down current MBA prices as Apple tries to head off the coming flood of Windows-based ultrabooks – 30-50 at CES alone, according to some estimates. This partially confirms rumors that Apple’s next 15-inchers will be thinner and lighter than the current MacBook Pro line-up.

Apple Had A Better Black Friday Than It Expected

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 05:32 AM PST

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The Black Friday madness has finally come to a close. Well, almost. We all still need to live through Cyber Monday — a much safer version of our public displays of consumerism — but for the most part Black Friday is behind us. People camped out all night, were pepper-sprayed, and hopefully walked away with some new gear for a cheap price.

Apple, which seemed to have the weakest discounts of almost any gadgets retailer, posted some strong numbers from its Black Friday one-day sale. According to a 9to5Mac source inside Apple, the company had originally expected to do four times the sales it usually does. By 7pm on Friday, however, Apple had blasted past its original goal and had its biggest sales day to date.

The source added that iPad and MacBook Air sales were strong, though we haven’t been given access to any of the actual figures, so we’ll have to take his word on that.